Sealing-closure for bottles, jars, and other receptacles.



W. E. HEATH.

SEALING CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, l9l5. 1,214,675.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

WILLIAM E. HEATH, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SEALING-CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES, JARS; AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealing-Closures for Bottles, Jars, and other Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in sealing closures for bottles, jars and other receptacles, and is particularly adapted for bottled milk; and the objectsand nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expressions of my invention from among other embodiments within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing band preferably stamped up from sheet metal, and capable of being bent into locking contact with a shoulder on the head of a bottle or other receptacle, and including by reason of its construction, means within itself, enabling any one to remove the band clear of the bottle or other receptacle, and thus get at its contents without the employment of any tool or instrument whatsoever; the fingers alone being all that is required to effect a quick and speedy removal of the band from its locked position on the mouth of the bottle or other receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved unbroken sealing band composed of sheet metal, which when locked to the head of a bottle or other receptacle, can be released by severing the band through means integral with the band itself; said means remaining an integral part of the.

band after the seal has been broken, and forming, after the band has been severed, a finger hold or leverage-whereby the band may be spread apart and easily removed from its locked position on the bottle mouth. The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangement as more fully and particularly set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a perspective view of the neck portion of a milk bottle or other jar or receptacle equipped and sealed by a device Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5. 1915. Serial No. 26,121.

constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a perspective view showing the sealing ring broken. Fig. 3, is a sectional view 'on the line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a perspective view showing my invention ap plied to a small mouth bottle. Fig. 5, is asectional view on the line 55 (Fig. 4.)

In Figs. 1 to 3, in the drawings, I show the neck portion 1, of what might be termed a large mouth bottle, formed around its edge with an exterior bead providing an exterior annular shoulder 2, below the top sealing edge 3, around the bottle mouth. 4, is a sealing disk of cushioning material, usually composed of any desirable number of plies of pulp board or other suitable paper mate rial which if so desired, can be faced at the top by a sheet or disk 5, of any suitable stifi material such as sheet metal. However, my invention is not limited to the provision o the sheet 5. The closure disk 4, is impe'rforate and is adapted to span and close the mouth of the receptacle and to rest on and be compressed against the sealing edge 3 of the receptacle mouth.

I provide a metal ring or annulus for looking the disk 4, on the mouth of the receptacle, and this ring is composed of the depending annular vertical flange 6, and the annular horizontalflange 7, lapping over the top face of the-disk 4, (or the top face of the metal disk 5, when employed) for a suitable distance radially thereof. Usually the radial width of this flange 7, is at least suflicient to cause the flange to cover the outer edge portion of the disk 4, that is located der 2 while. the locking ring is held downwardly under pressure to compress'the disk 4, against the receptacle edge 3. The locking ring is thus locked inposition by the inturned edge 8, to maintain the cushioning and sealing disk 4, on, and sealing the receptacle month.

My present invention relates to improved means whereby this locking ring can be easily severed or broken by the use of the fingers alone, to permit removal of the disk 4, in order to gain access to the receptacle or to permit removal of the contents thereof.

In order to permit contraction of the looking ring when it is spun under-the locking shoulder 2, of the bottle mouth, and so that said ring will be under a tension when so looked, that tends to expand or loosen the ring on the receptacle mouth, I form several radial cuts or slits 9, in the top flange 7, of this ring.

At a point remote from the cuts 9, I form a pair of parallel adjacent slits 10, 11 radially through the flange 7, and I extend these slitsdownwardly along the flange 6, with the slit 10, extending a greater d stance downwardly and transversely of the flange 6, than does the slit 11. A substantial unbroken uncut transverse portion of the flange 6,,intervenes between the lower end of the slit 1 and the bottom edge 8, of the flange 6.

In line with and below the lower end of the slit 11, I form a comparatively wide slot or cut 12, extending through the edge 8, and affording opportunity for contraction thereof during the spinning operation, and extending vertically transversely of the flange 6, and having a rounded upper end terminating just short of the lower end of the slit 11, leaving a circumferential ligament 13, intervening between the wide slot 12, and the slit 11, and maintaining the continuity of the locking ring or annulus. The adjacent slits 10, 11, provide intervening angular lever handle 14, the upper or handle [portion of which is arranged horizontally on the disk 4, and within the horizontal plane and formed by' a transverse portion of the flange 7, while the depending portion of said lever is formed by the part of flange 6, between slits 10, 11. If so desired,.the handle portion of this lever 14, can have a boss, projection or rib 15, pressed therein, or if so desired, a perforation can be cut therein instead of the projection, either of which formations will aid in preventing the fingers slipping from said handle. However, my invention is not so limited.

If so desired, the inner edge portion of the flange 7, can be notched or cut away,

see 16, at the inner ends of slits 10, 11, to

leave the opposite side edges and corners of the inner or handle end of lever 16, exposed and readily accessible to the fingers.

It will be noted that the slit 10, depends in the flange 6, to a point that is circumferentially of the locking ring opposite or beside the upper end portion of the slot, or

notch 12.

ing fast on one end of the broken ring, can

be utilized as a handle to pull the ring from the receptacle mouth. The ring is usually composed of such stiff sheet metal, that the handle approximately retains its original right angular shape throughout the opera tion of fracturing the ligament-13 and opening of the ring, and yet said sheet metal is of such a fragile or brittle nature, that the ligament is easily fractured by the lever action of the handle. swung upwardly and outwardly, the metal naturally tends to bend on a line circumferentially of the flange 6, and extending from the lower end of the slit 10, toward the notch 12, and at right angles to the length of the handle, but the ligament intervenes to prevent this, and yet a slight twisting movement applied to the handle as it is swung outwardly will cause this ligament to fracture and separate by reason of the leverage thereon attained through the slit and notch formation. Peculiarly advantageous results in this connection are attained by the arrangement of wide notch orslot 12, with respect to the slit 11, in connection with the projection of the slit 10, downwardly along the flange 6, a greater distance than the slitll.

Figs. 4 and 5, show the same construction, so far as the locking ring or band is concerned, as Figs. 1, to 3, but said band is adapted to a small mouth bottle and is provided with a cushioning and sealing disk 4, held within a flanged sheet metal disk 5*, snugly fitted within the locking band or rim.

It is evident that various changes and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosure hereof.

What I claim is:

1. A locking band of the character substantially as described, having a top horizontal flange severed by slits, and a vertical flange severed from its lower edge to said horizontal flange excepting for a circumferentially arranged connecting ligament holding the band against spreading, and lever means integral with said vertical flange for fracturing said ligament to release the band from the receptacle mouth.

2. A locking band of the character substantially as described, having a top horizontal flange rendered expansible by a radial cut, and a depending vertical flange, said band having a handle lever formed by slits extending throughout the radial length of said top flange and extending downwardly different distances along said vertical flange, said vertical flange being formed When the handle is with a notch extending upwardly through its lower edge toward and in line with the shorter one of said slits and terminating short of the lower end of said short slit.

3. A locking band of the character substantially as described, composed of a depending vertical flange and a top horizontal flange radially cut to render the same eX- pansible, said band being slit to form a handle lever, the handle portion'of which is ra-. dially arranged in the top flange and the base portion of which is arranged in and integral with the vertical flange, said vertical flange having a notch extending through its lower edge and upwardly along said flange in line with one longitudinal edge of said lever, the continuity of said vertical flange being maintained by a fragile ligament arranged at the upper end of said notch.

4. A locking band of the character substantially as described, composed of a depending vertical flange and a top horizontal flange radially cut to render the same expansible, said band being cut by a pair of adjacent slits extending completely across the top flange and continued downwardly along the vertical flange and terminating at different distances from the lower edge of the vertical flange, for the purposes substantially as set forth.

5. A locking band of the character substantially as-described, composed of a depending vertical flange and a top horizontal I flange radially cut to render the same expansible, said band being out by a pair of adjacent slits extending completely across the top flange and continued downwardly along the vertical flange and terminating at different distances from the lower edge of the vertical flange, said vertical flange having a notch extending upwardly through its bottom edge to a point adjacent to one of said slits leaving an intervening fragile ligament.

6. A locking band for the purposes sub-'- stantially as described, composed of a vertical depending flange and a top flange, said band being cut to render the same expansible, said band being formed with a handle lever composed of a radial portion of the top flange occupying the full radial width of said flange and a transverse portion of the vertical flan e in length less than the full vertical width 0% said flange,'said lever being integral with the vertical flange and at one edge joined thereinto by a narrow fragile ligament and at the other side joined thereinto bv a substantial non-fragile portion of said vertical flange.

7. A lockin band, for the purposes substantially as escribed, comprising a horizontal flange and a depending vertical flange, said flanges being cut to form a handle lever connected into the ring solely through the medium of a fragile connecting ligament and a wide non-fragile portion joining the base of the lever into the depending flange, said ligament establishing the continuity of said depending flange and adapted to be severed by the upward and twisting movement of said lever, said non- &

fragile portion adapted to permanently.

maintain the connection of the lever to the depending flange when the ligament is broken so that said lever constitutes a handle for spreading and removing the broken ring from the receptacle mouth.

8. A locking band, for the purposes substantially as described, comprising an expansible horizontal flange and a flange depending therefrom, said flanges being cut to form a handle lever arranged radially within and separate from the horizontal flange and extending downwardly along and forming a part of the depending flange, the continuitv of the depending flange being maintained by a fragile ligament adapted to be broken by the movement of s'aidhandle lever to permit said band to spread, said handle lever permanently connected into said depending flange to form ahandle by which said band can be spread and removed from the receptacle mouth after said ligament has been broken. 7 i

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

, WILLIAM E. HEATH. 

